The man who helped establish Snowbird as a world-class ski resort has died at the age of 91. A release from Snowbird says Ted Johnson passed away on Monday after sustaining fatal injuries as the result of getting hit by a drunk driver in California.

Johnson was the first person to actively assess the future possibility of a ski area wedged in Little Cottonwood Canyon just below Alta. After purchasing a series of mining claims in the area, Johnson would team up with Texas Oilman and conservationist, Dick Bass to found what would become Snowbird.

Snowbird President and CEO recalled the ski industry revolutionary saying that his “endearing personality and persistence” were some of the biggest reasons for Snowbird’s ultimate success. Bass would later buy out Johnson’s interest in the resort in 1974 but would remained a crucial member of the community following his departure. Known to locals as “The Silver Fox,” Johnson and his nickname remain enshired as one of the premiere ski runs off Hidden Peak.